Smith is the leading returning vote-getter among the 16 candidates battling to be recognized as the top defensive player in the Football Championship Subdivision. Smith, the sack artist who led the Cowboys to the Southland Conference title and a playoff berth, finished seventh in last year's Buchanan Award voting with seven first-place votes and 95 points.

Mays was tied for the NDSU lead with 67 tackles including a team best 38 solo stops and 5.0 tackles for loss. He added three pass breakups, two sacks and a forced fumble.

The Bison defense held nine of 11 opponents to 100 yards or less rushing during the 2006 season. NDSU was fourth in rushing defense (67.2 ypg), eighth in scoring defense (13.4 ppg), ninth in total defense (253.64 ypg). North Dakota State's defense was also tied for 22nd in sacks (2.45 spg).

North Dakota State was ranked No. 4 in The Sports Network's FCS Preseason Top 25. The Bison open the season at 6:35 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8, against Stephen F. Austin at the Fargodome. The game will be regionally broadcast on FSN North.

North Dakota State quarterback Steve Walker was not on the 2007 Walter Payton Award watch list. He received votes in the 2006 Payton Award balloting after being added midseason.

Kyle Shotwell, a linebacker from Cal Poly, won the 2006 Buchanan Award. Shotwell was the third consecutive Mustang player to earn the honor, joining linebacker Jordan Beck and defensive end Chris Gocong. Cal Poly does not have a player on the 2007 watch list. 

Two other players who received Buchanan votes last year were also on the 2007 watch list.

Mike Gallihugh, a linebacker from Colgate and the leading tackler in the FCS last season, was 10th with three first-place votes and 76 points last year.

Kroy Biermann, a defensive end from Montana, was 11th last year with one first- place vote and 67 points.

The 16 players on the 2007 Buchanan watch list include four defensive ends, seven linebackers, four safeties and one cornerback.

Joining Smith and Biermann among the defensive ends are Brian Johnston of Gardner-Webb and Kendall Langford of Hampton.

Linebackers include Colin Disch of Albany, Jason Hatchell of Massachusetts, Joe Mays of North Dakota State, Kye Stewart of Illinois State, James Terry of Youngstown State and Donald Thomas of Eastern Illinois.

A strong group of safeties is represented by three-time All-American Tony LeZotte of James Madison, two-time All-American Corey Lynch of defending national champion Appalachian State, Bobby Williams of Bethune-Cookman and Jarmaul George of Southern.

The lone cornerback on the watch list is Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie of Tennessee State.

Four conferences landed two players each on the watch list, the Colonial Athletic Association, the Gateway Conference, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and the Ohio Valley Conference. The Big Sky Conference, the Big South Conference, the Great West Conference, the Northeast Conference, the Patriot League, the Southern Conference, the Southland Conference and the Southwest Athletic Conference had one player each on the Buchanan list.

2007 Buck Buchanan Award Watch List: Kroy Biermann, Senior, Defensive End, Montana; Colin Disch, Senior, Linebacker, Albany; Mike Gallihugh, Senior, Linebacker, Colgate; Jarmaul George, Senior, Safety, Southern; Jason Hatchell, Senior, Linebacker, Massachusetts; Brian Johnson, Senior, Defensive End, Gardner-Webb; Kendall Langford, Senior, Defensive End, Hampton; Tony LeZotte, Senior, Safety, James Madison; Corey Lynch, Senior, Safety, Appalachian State; Joe Mays, Senior, Linebacker, North Dakota State; Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Senior, Cornerback, Tennessee State; Bryan Smith, Senior, Defensive End, McNeese State; Kye Stewart, Senior, Linebacker, Illinois State; James Terry, Senior, Linebacker, Youngstown State; Donald Thomas, Senior, Linebacker, Eastern Illinois; Bobby Williams, Senior, Safety, Bethune-Cookman.

 2007 Walter Payton Award Watch List: Donald Chapman, Senior, Running Back, Tennessee-Martin; Liam Coen, Junior, Quarterback, Massachusetts; Omar Cuff, Senior, Running Back, Delaware; Herb Donaldson, Junior, Running Back, Western Illinois; Luke Drone, Senior, Quarterback, Illinois State; Jerome Felton, Senior, Fullback, Furman; Lex Hilliard, Senior, Running Back, Montana; Josh Johnson, Senior, Quarterback, San Diego; Mike McLeod, Junior, Running Back, Yale; Kevin Richardson, Senior, Running Back, Appalachian State; Eric Sanders, Senior, Quarterback, Northern Iowa; Ricky Santos, Senior, Quarterback, New Hampshire; Sean Schaefer, Junior, Quarterback, Towson; Jerome Simpson, Senior, Wide Receiver, Coastal Carolina; Alex Watson, Senior, Wide Receiver, Northern Arizona; Steven Whitehead, Senior, Kick Returner/Wide Receiver, McNeese State.